Writing Your Voice Agent's Instructions

Your agent's instructions are the single biggest driver of how it performs on a call. This article explains what each of the five instruction sections is for and the questions to answer in each one.

A good rule throughout: write goal-oriented guidance, not a rigid script. Tell the agent what you want to happen and the boundaries to respect, and let it handle the actual wording of the conversation.

The name and persona the agent uses on the call.

Questions to answer:

• What should the agent call itself (e.g., "Sarah")?

• Is it representing a specific team, brand, or department?

The agent's job and how it should come across.

Questions to answer:

• What is this agent's role on the call — what is it here to do?

• What tone and style fit your brand (warm and casual, professional and concise)?

• Are there personality boundaries — things it should never do or say to stay on-brand?

Who the agent is talking to and why the call is happening.

Questions to answer:

• Who is on the other end (a new lead, an existing customer, someone you're following up with)?

• What does the caller likely already know, and what prompted the call?

• What context should the agent assume versus confirm?

The path you want the call to take.

Questions to answer:

• How should the agent open the call?

• What are the key steps or topics, and in what order?

• What information does the agent need to collect, and what does it need to convey?

• How should the call wrap up — what's the desired ending or next step?

The rules and limits that keep the agent safe and on-message.

Questions to answer:

• What must the agent always do (e.g., required statements or disclosures)?

• What must it never do or promise?

• What's out of scope, and what should it do when it hits those situations (defer, escalate, hand off, end the call)?

• How should it handle uncertainty or questions it can't answer?

Tip: Start from a template, then tailor each section. Test a few calls, listen for gaps, and refine the section responsible for whatever went wrong.